Epidemiologist and Professor of Health Systems
at Dublin City University, Dr Anthony Staines, speaking at today's
Oral Hearing, said that Indavers Environmental Health Impact Report
(EHA) shows little grasp of the practical issues associated with population
health surveys, that whole sections of their report was copied, verbatim
and without attribution from Dr Staines own work, and should be withdrawn
from consideration.

Dr Staines, who co-authored the Government Health
Review Board Report (HRB) entitled Health and Environemntal Effects
of Landfill and Incineration of Waste - A Literature Review, criticised
Indavers saying "The material provided in the EIS falls far short
of any reasonable estimate of what is required, and given the plagiarism
identified, I suggest it be withdrawn from consideration. The people
of Cork and the local community deserve better."

"Whole sections on Health issues relating
to Respiratory Symptoms and Reproductive Effects are copied, verbatim
and without any attribution, from Dr Staines HRB Report. Much of the
Cancer section is also copied with a minor rewrite. The Cancer section
refers to studies which have reported an association with cancer,
but these are not further discussed."

Dr Staines also stated that the HRB Report which
he authored noted that Ireland was poorly equipped to assess, monitor,
and enforce human health protection, and he stated that although some
progress has been made, this remains true. He said that "The
current situation is that neither the EPA, nor the local authorities,
have the capacity to adequately monitor and police human health."

"Overall this report is wholly inadequate
and aside of the disgraceful plagiarism, the writer has not done what
he suggested was required, i.e. a baseline environmental analysis,
followed by an estimation of the impacts of changes in this on human
health. It is not possible for any reasonable person to draw any conclusions
as to the health impacts of the proposed development from the EIS."

Cobh GP, Dr George Fitzgerald, also spoke, and
said that he believes that Indaver Ireland's proposed incinerators
will affect the health of local populations on several levels, physically,
mentally and socio-economially, and listed physical concerns such
as endocrine disruption, respiratory disease and cancer.